Shake Your Root Chakra

Last week we started our conversation about the Chakras. If you can’t tell, I have a deep appreciation for the chakra system, and how learning about the chakras helped to transform my own life. It has created for me, an awareness that balance is an important and essential part of our existence. I also have an appreciation for the wisdom of free will that allows us to make choices to do and to be better. I think that even having a small amount of wisdom about this system can be helpful on your life path; I think it is especially helpful if you are being intentional about your health, wealth, and overall well-being. As always, the librarian in me encourages you to do your own supplementary research. There is so much that we simply won’t have time to cover. Check out this week’s video here: https://youtu.be/N2lZrFfN4jk

This week we start the journey of looking deeply at each individual chakra. We will cover the basics, and then I will provide a few tips on how to keep your chakras balanced and in alignment. There are important lessons attached to each chakra, and hopefully, some of the material will resonate with your soul. It is also my wish that you will be able to use some of these tools for helping to align your chakras as you travel your life path—not just today but onward into the future. As Arianna Huffington said, “The journey toward self-discovery is life’s greatest adventure.”

Mini Disclaimer: I should also add that learning about the chakras could be triggering. What do I mean by that? I mean that there might be things that come up that you do not feel comfortable addressing or confronting within yourself. I didn’t like to hear that I needed to be better with my budget, or that I had fears of abandonment, but there they were. It hurts to confront the things within ourselves that we would rather hide from the world, but tell me, what is the benefit for you in holding on to those things? You all know that I am a big believer in therapy—and I am a big believer that nothing can be healed until it is faced. There are no perfect humans, just people out there trying to do their best. Open your heart and your mind to what is possible for you. I believe in that for you. I believe in the alignment of your chakras and all the deliciousness of life that comes with that!

We start with the first chakra—the root chakra. The Sanskrit name for the Root Chakra is “Muladhara.” This word breaks down into, Mula, which means “root” and adhara means “support” or “base.” The literal translation is the root and basis of existence. It is depicted as a red four-petal lotus flower with yellow accents. This chakra is probably the most important because it is the foundation on which all others rest. If you have ever seen Maslow or Jung’s hierarchy of needs, the root represents safety and the physiological levels that form the foundation of the pyramid of needs. At the most basic is our need for food, clothing, shelter, affection, and security of our health and resources.

When I think of the root chakra, I immediately think about the things that give me a sense of security. A cup of hot tea, comfort foods, knowing that my bills are paid on time, my favorite blanket when I need to be snug, and a hug from my love. I think of physical security, emotional security, and financial security. When I began my chakra journey, my root chakra was not in a good place at all. Looking back, I can see that my sense of security and stability had been devastated through inner and outer events. For example, there were parental issues that I had never healed or addressed within my internal life. On the external front, I had gone through a divorce, and the entire nation was struggling through economic downturn. I was constantly worrying about everything, especially finances. How was I going to do x, y, and z?  Let me just say that as a semi-reformed worrier, worrying does not add anything beneficial to the mix. In fact, it can create unnecessary stress that can even cause physical pain, and not to mention the time we waste in worrying. You could best use that time to either rest (really rest is amazing), or coming up with other creative solutions to whatever is bugging you. Did I also mention divine assistance is always an option?  

Going back to what I was saying, the foundations on which I had built my life were coming apart at the seams, and I had to do something. I had built the foundations of my life on sand, and when the waters of life rose up to that level, everything seeped away. However, there was a lesson there—build it again, but on stronger material. Some of that material has to come from within us—not from things of the external world. The root chakra reminds us of this—that the foundation must be strong. Sadhguru said, “Unless the muladhara is stabilized, one will not know health, wellbeing, and a sense of stability and completeness.”

Last week I mentioned that the root chakra is located at the base of the spine. It is one of three chakras along with the sacral and solar plexus chakra that represent matter, the physical realm, and the human self—our physical, emotional, and mental bodies. These three are connected to the higher three spiritual chakras—the throat chakra, the third eye, and the crown chakra by the heart chakra.  

The root chakra represents safety, security, and stability. My good friend Mr. Rishi taught me that the root chakra governs birth issues, survival patterns, generational patterns and issues with money, food, and health. It is our survival center; our primal animal nature is to survive. It is also the trust that we place in our caregivers and parents as infants. There is a belief that if food, water, love, and affection are withheld at that early stage of our lives, then blockages could arise. I read somewhere that the energy of Root chakra allows us to harness courage, resourcefulness and the will to live during challenging times. Root chakra connects us with the spiritual energies of our ancestors, both their challenges and their triumphs.

Anything that threatens our basic survival—such as war, natural disaster, the effects of a global pandemic—these are all things that can cause imbalances to the root chakra. I have thought about the root chakra of the collective a lot this past year, because so many people have had their lives upended due to the pandemic. I have discovered that in the most trying times, we have to tap into our greatest source of inner strength, but we must also be gentle with ourselves and afford some grace to the fact that most people are doing the best they can do under the circumstances, which they find themselves. It is our work to take responsibility for our own lives and sometimes just an awareness that something is off can be a powerful starting point. 

Imbalances with the chakras can have both physical and emotional/mental manifestations. Some imbalanced attributes of the root chakra are scattered energies, anxiety, fears, difficulty achieving goals, unfocused mind, and the inability to be still. It can also manifest as isolation, lethargy, and pains within the legs, knees, hips and ankles. Another indication might be in issues with weight. When the root chakra is too open (spinning too fast), the characteristics are bullying, being overly materialistic, and self-centeredness. When it is blocked (slow spinning or not spinning at all), we experience low self-esteem, and self-destructive behaviors. Other physical imbalances may manifest as problems in the colon and with the bladder. In men, prostate problems may occur. Eating disorders may also be a sign of a root chakra imbalance.

When it is open, we feel safe and fearless. We demonstrate self-mastery and high physical energy; we become grounded, healthy and focused. We also feel good about our finances and can more easily generate money and personal assets. 

So what are some ways to balance the root chakra?

· Meditation to balance the Root Chakra. Many meditations out there can help you to concentrate healing energies to the Root Chakra area. Each Chakra is also associated with a particular sound. The root chakra is associated with the sound/mantra LAM. Meditating and chanting to LAM for even a few minutes can be beneficial to helping balance the root chakra. Listening to 396Hz frequency while meditating is also great—this is the frequency that resonates with the root chakra.

· Crystal Healing. I will talk about crystals and crystal healing in another blog/video. I love crystals immensely…and if you know me, I have probably given you a crystal at some point in our relationship. Since the root is associated with the very dense element of Earth, and crystals come from the earth, they vibrate with that energy. Getting earthy color crystals that are associated with the earth element is very helpful. Some examples are hematite, red jasper, garnet, bloodstone, tiger’s eye, and smoky quartz. Carrying these close to you and placing the gemstones on the area of your root chakra while lying down can be very beneficial to helping with alignment.

· Colors. Surround yourself with the color red. This color is most strongly associated with the root chakra. Wear red clothing. Add some red to your décor.

· Foods. Eat red foods—apples, beets, berries, and other grounding and earthy foods are also good for the root chakra.

· Reconnect with the Earth. I made a previous video/blog post on Grounding and connecting with the Earth element. Check it out to get some good tips for connecting with the earth. Just standing barefoot in the grass can be deeply grounding.

·       Move your body! I went to a workshop by Mr. Rishi once on the root chakra, and we had to dance. My mom calls it, “shaking your root chakra.” But really, get outside, take a walk, do some yoga, and get your body moving. The root is about the physical, and actually physically moving your body can be very empowering. 

· Seek therapy to heal from past issues and insecurities. I think this speaks for itself. So many people don’t even realize the sort of parental issues, generational issues, and just deep mistrust that we harbor deep within. Get professional help if you can, to address some of these issues. Healing my own relationship with my parents—seeing them as individual humans with their own issues, instead of trying to make them into who I wanted them to be, was also very helpful root chakra work for me.

· Cleaning up your financial house. This is one that a lot of people don’t like to face, and considering the events of last year, it is a hard one to face for a lot of people. There is a great book out there called, “The Richest Man in Babylon.” I will talk about this in the future, but one bit of advice was, “a bit of all you earn is yours to keep.” He mentioned that even if you earn ten cents, save one penny for yourself. As your pennies begin to accumulate, that gives you a sense of security that no one can take away. “Wealth, like a tree, grows from a tiny seed. The first copper you save is the seed from which your tree of wealth shall grow. The sooner you plant that seed the sooner shall the tree grow. And the more faithfully you nourish and water that tree with consistent savings, the sooner may you bask in contentment beneath its shade.”

·       Practice your affirmations! Here are a few: I am safe. I am financially secure. My home is safe and secure. I love my body. I have what I need. I trust myself. I love myself. I trust in the divine to provide my basic needs. I am fearless. 

I hope that this information was informative and that you can apply these in a practical manner in your life. Please let me know if anything works well for you!! Also, please feel free to drop more tips/suggestions in the comments. May the stars shine brightly over your week, and may your root chakra be balanced, strong, and secure. Have a beautiful week.